Page 3 of We The Depraved

The rain has slowed to a trickle, and I throw my car into park and take one of the guns from Gio. I pass a couple of people on the way up. They look ready to throw a few cat calls but the sight of Gio hulking behind me helps them keep their lips zipped tight together.

My fist pounds into the door and I can’t hear the television turn off. I knock a little harder.

“Carla, come open this fucking door!” I shout.

Slowly it parts, and she sticks her face just into the crack. It doesn’t matter because I can see bruises all along her face.

“You shouldn’t be here boss lady,” she bites her lip, tears are already kissing her eye lashes.

“Baby, you can’t keep letting him do this,” I whisper.

I watch her close her eyes at my words.

“Who the fuck is at the door Carla!”

His words hit my ears and she mouths for me not to say anything. For too many years, I let a man keep me quiet. That’ll never happen ever again.

Using my shoulder I push forward into the apartment, not even sparing another glance at Carla. I can tell from my peripheral vision that she’s not putting all her weight on her right leg. On the floor nearby, her daughter is playing with blocks and Anthony Dias, a member of the 27 Row Crips is standing nearby, with a towel on his waist. He smiles when he see me.

“If it isn’t the bitch herself,” he smiles.

He’s a fucking dumbass.

“I told you Anthony, you were going to hit her one to many times,” I shook my head.

“And what are you gonna do about it?” He looks past me at Gio, whose whispering for Carla to grab the baby. She moves as fast as she can.

“Don’t you pick that fucking brat up!” He warns her.

“Carla, get the baby and stand out in the hallway with her.”

She moves faster this time and Anthony doesn’t do anything to stop her. She’s in severe pain and I hate it for her.

“I should show you what a real man feels like,” he sneers at me.

I scoff at the nerve of this fucker, and I adjust my stance, my hands go to my hips. “Anthony, I fucked your woman better than you ever could.”

“But she wanted a real dick,” I watch him grab at his junk and almost vomit in my mouth.

I’m tired of this conversation.

“It’s a shame,” I feign a yawn.

“What?”

Pulling my gun out, I squeeze the trigger. Anthony’s brains go everywhere. Carla’s safe now but I hear her whimper loudly from the hallway, the sound of the gunfire causes a ringing in my ears. There’s nothing else for her here. Gio comes and stands beside me, then bends to retrieve the shell.

“Waste of a bullet,” he hands it to me. “What’d you bring me for.”

“Backup, now call Lenny and Alejandro,” I reference the cleaning crew.

Gio nods. “On it boss lady.”

I roll my eyes at him. He knows I’m not a fan of the term. He pulls out the burner phone that I’ve programmed with Lenny and Stryker’s number. They do a an extremely good job at making bodies disappear. They don’t just clean, they remodel. They’ll paint and pull up the old carpet in a matter of moments. This job was quick and easy.

Carla’s trying to sing to the baby in the hallway, she’s a little fussy.

“You took it too far,” she has tears in her eyes.